Shoulder decisions — 2011

The Board has vacated the October 8, 2010 decision denying compensation under 38 U.S.C. § 1151 for additional disability claimed to be due to VA medical treatment because the evidence was not considered at the time of the decision.

The Board has granted the Veteran's claim of service connection for left and right shoulder disorders, finding that the evidence supports a finding that these conditions likely had their onset during active service.

The Board has denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for various conditions, including an acquired psychiatric disorder, a right shoulder disorder, bilateral hearing loss, refractive error of the eye, allergies, left arm numbness and loss of function, and a low back disorder. The evidence does not support these claims.

The Veteran's appeal is remanded for additional development to ensure a complete record and proper consideration of his claims, including the need for VA examinations.

The Veteran's left shoulder disability is not considered to be a result of VA care, and the Board finds that his additional disability was not caused by any fault on the part of VA.

The Veteran's appeal is being remanded for further development, including a VA examination to assess the current severity of his service-connected right shoulder disability. The claim will be readjudicated after this additional development.

The Veteran's claim for an increased rating for his left shoulder disability was granted, with a 10 percent evaluation assigned. The claims for service connection for mild spondylosis and arthritis of the left shoulder were also granted.

The Veteran's service-connected conditions, including his acquired psychiatric disorder and status post left ventral hernia repair, are linked to his exposure to chemicals during Project SHAD. The Board has granted service connection for these conditions.

The Board denied the Veteran's claims for service connection for left elbow disorder, right hip arthritis, and left shoulder arthritis due to a lack of evidence supporting these conditions were incurred or aggravated by his military service.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development due to missing service treatment records and other issues.

The Board has granted service connection for a left hand disorder secondary to residuals of a right ankle sprain with post-traumatic arthritis, but denied service connection for a left shoulder disorder on the same basis.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for bilateral hearing loss, residuals of a left upper extremity injury including radiculopathy (claimed as left shoulder and arm injury), and cervical spine disability to allow for further development.

The Board found that the Veteran's service-connected disabilities, including chronic low back pain and recurrent shoulder dislocation, precluded him from obtaining or maintaining substantially gainful employment since April 1996. The effective date for the TDIU was set at April 12, 1996.

The Board has remanded the Veteran's claims for additional development due to inconsistencies in his appeals and unverified stressor allegations. The case will be returned to the RO/AMC for further action.

The Veteran's pes planus is found to be aggravated by his service-connected left ankle disability, and the claim for this condition is granted.,Service connection is granted for a right shoulder condition as it is related to the Veteran's military service.

The Veteran's claims for service connection and increased evaluations are being remanded due to the need for additional development, including obtaining medical records and scheduling VA examinations.

The Board found that the Veteran has a current atrial septal defect (ASD) of his heart, but there is no causal relationship between this condition and service. The claims for left arm and shoulder disorders were not addressed due to lack of evidence.

The Veteran's appeal is denied as his claims for service connection and increased ratings are not addressed in the decision. The issues of entitlement to service connection for right shoulder disorder, initial increased rating for PTSD, initial increased rating for left shoulder scar (prior to June 11, 2011), and initial increased rating for dyshidrosis have been remanded.

The Board has remanded the case for additional development, including obtaining VA treatment records and scheduling a VA examination to address the Veteran's claims of service connection for various disabilities.

The Veteran's bilateral shoulder disabilities, specifically right shoulder degenerative joint disease and left shoulder separation with traumatic arthritis, are rated at 30 percent each.